1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to shaking apparatus such as, for example, mixing devices, shaking water baths, shaking incubators and other apparatus commonly used in laboratories for agitating the contents of reaction vessels e.g. flasks or test tubes, or other containers by a shaking movement imparted thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
In some existing designs of shaking apparatus, for example in the Applicant's SS40 series of laboratory shaking water baths, a carrier or holder for supporting reaction vessels or other receptacles for the material to be agitated is arranged to be moved along a linear path with a reciprocating movement. In other existing designs of shaking apparatus, a carrier or holder for the reaction vessels or other receptacles is arranged to be moved continuously along a non-linear orbital path, e.g. a circular or elliptical path. The choice between using shaking apparatus which provides a linear reciprocating movement for shaking and shaking apparatus which provides a non-linear orbital movement for shaking usually depends on the nature of the operation being performed and characteristics or mixing qualities of the materials involved. However, in practice the user often has a need for both kinds of shaking movement at different times and to meet this situation it has hitherto been necessary for the user either to have two separate forms of the shaking apparatus designed respectively to provide the two kinds of movement or, alternatively, in some existing designs of shaking apparatus it has been possible for the user to exchange parts of the shaking apparatus so as to convert the apparatus from one mode of operation which provides one of the two kinds of shaking movement to an alternative second mode of operation which provides the other kind of shaking movement.